Sermon (February 23) by Rev. Robert McDowell - "Learning Hebrew: Part II"

     Last week, we learned a little Hebrew during the sermon. I probably didn’t teach you anything that you didn’t already know.

     You probably already knew about the word, “Shalom” which means “peace” and is used as a way of greeting someone. You also probably already knew the phrase, “Mazel Tov” which means “congratulations.” But hopefully, we did learn something new about the Hebrew alphabet.

     Last Sunday, we also learned that Psalm 119 is written as an acrostic. Since there are twenty-two Hebrew letters, this means there are twenty-two sections of Psalm 119 each beginning with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It’s a creative way to help us remember this incredible Psalm about the importance of obeying God’s Word.

     The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “Aleph” which is known as the master or ruler over the rest of the twenty-one letters. The first of the twenty-two sections in Psalm 119 begins with the letter, “Aleph.”

     Right away in this first section of Psalm 119, we are to remember that God’s laws are to take priority in our lives. That’s not always easy since we tend to want to do what we want rather than what God wants.

     For today, we’re going to look at the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet which is the letter that is at the beginning of the fifth section of Psalm 119. And this letter is “Hey.”

     Say, “Hey” with me. “Hey.” You now know two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Mazel Tov! Congratuations!

     Let’s listen again to this fifth section of Psalm 119 which begins with the letter, “Hey.”

     Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, which is for those who fear you. Turn away the disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good. See, I have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life.

     The image that is used for the letter, Hey is of a person with raised arms offering worship and praise to God because of the new life they have received from God.  This letter of the Hebrew alphabet means creative power and breath. In Jewish tradition, God used this letter to create the universe and to bring life to human beings. “Hey” brings life-changing and life-giving qualities. It’s what gives us life.

     By placing this letter here in this fifth section of Psalm 119, it helps us to remember that by following God’s Word, we too, receive new life and transformation. It’s what brings us delight. Notice that verse 37 says, “Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.”

     This prayer is asking God to give this Psalmist new life. This is the meaning of the Hebrew letter, “Hey.” It reminds us that we can find new life in God.

     I remember when I first had the wind knocked out of me when I was little. Isn’t that a terrible feeling when you can’t take a breath?

     I was on a tire swing in my front yard one summer day swinging back and forth. All of the sudden, the rope broke loose from the tree branch above and I landed hard on the ground. The wind was knocked out of me. I was gasping for breath.

     Sometimes, we can feel like the wind is knocked from us and we are left gasping for air. Have you ever felt that way?

     I remember a time this past Fall when I was just feeling down about things. The sermon wasn’t coming together and it was also a really busy week at the church.  That night, I had a church meeting. Now who would have thought that God can use a church meeting to bring new life? Well, that’s exactly what God did!

     The person who was leading the meeting was extremely upbeat and excited about the vision for our church. He shared a powerpoint presentation with the committee on some new strategies to help our church live into our vision of reaching more people for Christ. It was a very inspiring meeting.

     As we were walking out from the meeting, I said to this person, “You have just reinvigorated me. Thank you.” Actually, it was God’s breath of new life working through him that reinvigorated me. Where do you see the Hebrew letter, “Hey” and God’s new life at work around you?

     Many of us are aware of the drug problem that’s a problem throughout Ohio as well as here in our local community. This past Fall, I attended a community event in which a young lady shared her inspiring testimony about overcoming her drug problem.

     The event was just down the block at our outdoor band shelter which included a free picnic for the community. A crowd had gathered. Some people were drawn to the event because of the smell of the grilled hot dogs and some came out of curiosity.
     The young woman spoke about how she got caught up in drugs and how people in her family and community have been helping her to overcome her addiction. She now attends college and she wants to work in a field where she can give back by helping others who are struggling with drugs.  

     She said, "Every day, I thank God for all of my blessings and for helping me experience healing." Everyone applauded her and thanked her for her testimony. I think everybody who was there that day could feel God’s breath of new life. When I think of the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, I think of this young woman and her powerful story.

      The Hebrew letter, “Hey” also reminds me of a teenager who attended one of the churches I served as pastor. He started attending our church because one of our families had a connection with him through the High School swim team.

     They invited him to join them for worship one Sunday morning and he came. It was the first time he had ever been to a church service. He enjoyed the music, the message, and the openness and welcome of that congregation.

     He grew up in a broken home which wasn’t easy for him and he was dealing with a lot of unresolved anger. As he continued to attend our church, he became more aware of God’s unconditional love for him. His new friends in church offered encouragement and support every week. As time went on, he began to notice that he wasn’t as angry anymore because he knew that God loved him.

     His life took on new meaning. He was experiencing God’s “Hey.” God was breathing new life into him.

     He asked to be baptized. His friends in the youth group were all there to support him because they knew how far he had come. His parents also came to that worship service and his father ended up joining the church as well and served as one of our greeters.

     Three years ago, I had the privilege of officiating at his wedding in Cincinnati. They have a little boy now. And on top of all of this, he has become the worship leader at that same church where he first experienced God’s love and was baptized.

      His story reminds me that God never stops breathing new life into us. The Psalmist is right when he prays, “See, I have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life.”  And God does bring us life.

     Our Crossroads facility on West Fair Avenue is a busy place where a lot of wonderful and life changing ministry is happening on a weekly basis. One of those ministries is called, “Sharing Hope.”

     Sharing Hope is an anti-poverty ministry that brings people from different social and economic classes together to help each other set goals in overcoming financial poverty.  We use the resource, “Bridges Out of Poverty” by Ruby Payne. Several people in our congregation are part of this program.

     This diverse group of people meets three nights every month. They begin with a meal together and they break off into smaller groups where they learn from each other and from a facilitator about issues related to poverty and from there, they set goals to overcome poverty.

     This program began around this time last year and one of the persons who attended the sessions was Liberty Gavin, an unemployed single mother relying on welfare. Thanks to the Sharing Hope ministry and her own determination, she has gone from living day to day to now having a full time job and a ten year career plan.

     Sharing Hope is a ministry that is breathing new life into our community and into the lives of people like Liberty. And guess what? You are making stories like this possible because of your financial support of our current Crossroads financial campaign. I am so proud of our church for providing ministries like this that are transforming our local community.

     The Hebrew letter, “Hey” and Psalm 119 remind us that by obeying God’s Word, new life is always possible.

     At a recent clergy gathering, the speaker shared that he was in a hotel room in Canton, Ohio. Out of curiosity, he opened the nightstand drawer to see if there was a bible in it. And sure enough, there was.

     He opened the front cover and he was surprised to find a personal note written there which he thought was interesting. And the note said, “To Whom It May Concern: Thank you for providing this bible when I was in this hotel room. I was going through a difficult time in my life and I was really low on hope. I decided to read some scripture verses and I realized that God loves me and has a purpose for me. I don’t know what I would have done without this Bible. Thank you, again. Frank from California.”

     Psalm 119 reminds us that God’s Word offers us hope It offers us new life again and again. It has offered new life to a young woman who is recovering from drug addiction. It’s offered new life for a teenager from a broken home.  It has offered new life for an unemployed single mother struggling to get by. It's offered new life for a man named Frank who lives in Califorinia.

     And it offers new life for you and for me.

     Shalom!